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Volunteer Opportunities

Get Involved

Thank you for your interest in volunteering in our community! When we come together to support one another, build something, improve something, preserve something, we find something special — we find a purpose.

Check out our current volunteer needs below. There are all kinds of ways you can get involved today.

Immediate Volunteer Needs

Adopt an Area and Keep Boulder Beautiful

The Public Works Department is looking for community members and organizations to adopt an area in the city to keep free of debris. This program provides an opportunity for groups of any size and of varying ages to regularly volunteer and set their own schedule. Apply to adopt a specific median, multi-use path, road, bus stop or pocket park for a period of one year. Click to view a map of available areas, medians and pocket parks that can be adopted today. Learn more about this program and join in the fun!

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities

Serve on an Advisory Board

Volunteers appointed to serve on a board or commission help City Council examine issues and, in turn, shape the future of Boulder. Applications to serve on advisory boards are open in January and February each year.

Help Strengthen Public Safety

From advocating for victims to assisting detectives, Boulder Police Department has a variety of volunteer opportunities at any given time. Volunteers help police be their best. Please note, recruitment for victim's advocates occurs in January and March each year.

Empower Learning at Your Library

Library volunteers contribute more than 20,000 hours of valuable service annually. Volunteer opportunities are available at the Main library in addition to the four branches, offering positions for adults and teens. We have a variety of placement areas to choose from, and our programs can utilize a diversity of interests, skills and schedule.

Make a Difference on The Hill

The word "Hillanthropy" reflects a primary goal of the city’s Hill Reinvestment Strategy – to reposition University Hill as a Boulder neighborhood to bet on, one that’s on the move, steadily recapturing its vibrancy and vitality. Volunteers can help beautify the neighborhood and get involved with other projects.

Plug into Boulder's Energy Strategy

The Energy Strategy and Electric Utility Development team performs work related to forming a locally owned utility and developing future energy strategies. The team has formed volunteer community working groups to obtain input from residents, businesses and stakeholders on project focus areas.

Give Back to Boulder's Open Space

Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Volunteer Services provides a variety of programs, projects, and events to community members and organizations year-round. Learn how you can give back to the land in meaningful ways.

Beautify Boulder by Adopting an Area

Community members and organizations to adopt an area in the city to keep debris-free. This Public Works Department program provides an opportunity for groups of any size to regularly volunteer and set their own schedule. Apply to adopt a specific median, multi-use path, road, bus stop or pocket park for a period of one year.

Serve Our Older Adults

Senior Services has multiple opportunities for Boulder residents to give back to our vibrant older adult community. Opportunities include fostering engagement and the well-being of older adults, making our centers even more friendly and inclusive and serving on the Senior Community Advisory Committee.

Learn more about Boulder's Volunteer Cooperative

Thanks to the Boulder community, the Volunteer Cooperative is helping the city become more resilient in the face of future challenges and continuing to highlight the city’s spirit. Take a moment to review our Strategic Plan and Annual Report to get a better sense of our current and future plans.

We are pleased to announce that Boulder's Volunteer Cooperative has been certified by Points of Light as a Service Enterprise! A Service Enterprise is an organization that fundamentally leverages volunteers and their skills throughout their organization to successfully deliver on its social mission. To earn this honor, Volunteer Cooperative staff completed an extensive assessment, over 20 hours of training and consulting, extensive internal planning and change to better integrate volunteers in our day-to-day operations. By achieving this level of excellence and certification, the Volunteer Cooperative is now better equipped to leverage the time and talent of volunteers and better meet our mission.

Not finding what you're looking for?

Do you have a particular skillset or area of interest but you don't see mention of it here? We want to hear from you. For more information on how you can get involved, contact Aimee Kane, volunteer program and project manager, at 303-441-4235 or [email protected] .

Testimonial

"Volunteering on behalf of the City of Boulder's various organizations is inspirational, educational and rewarding. Boulder is an amazing community and I am motivated to enhance the activities of these organizations."

- Joel Koenig, volunteer with Boulder Public Library, Open Space and Mountain Parks and various community groups

Volunteer Photo Gallery

Volunteer Cooperative

The City of Boulder’s Volunteer Cooperative is composed of volunteer coordinators and staff from all city departments who work with community volunteers. We work together to enhance community engagement, increase collaboration and ensure the highest quality volunteer experience possible.

Our mission is to support a community of service. Our vision is an integrated network of resources and opportunities to strengthen community stewardship.